UPDATE - I am in the process of switching Goat Goat over to a higher protein pelleted goat feed. She doesn't like it much, the switch is having to be slow. I have also switched to a better grade hay (from Grass to Timothy, and she loves it.) I also bought her some goat minerals and she has been lapping this up. I've also been giving her some alfafa pellets (not much) she does like them. Her stool still appears to be normal, and her spirits are good. She does seem tired at times though. All good, but now she has started to go bald. I'm not talking about shedding, she's going bald! What on earth could be causing this?
It's breaking my heart, because I don't have the money to bring a vet in. The county extension officer, who happens to be a goat farmer is coming on Monday to take a look, so I'm hoping that he might have some ideas. Any ideas would be more than welcomed.
Donna
Previous posts on this topic:
Hi I have a goat, about 5 years old, 1/2 cashmere, 1/2 boar. I got her 2 years ago as a rescue, and she has done quite well. However I know very little about goats. Over the last 2 months she has been steadily dropping weight. I have wormed her with 3 different wormers, to no avail: safeguard, pelleted goat wormer and ivermectin. I feed her good hay, sweet feed formulated for goats, fresh leaves and grass, plus treats to try to put weight on her: dry pasta, oatmeal, crackers, bread, dry dog food, what ever she will eat. She's still dropping weight. I do not have money to bring a vet in. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thank you so much for any help you can give.
Donna
dmdhart
#2 06/25/09, 02:41 PM
Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians
Lonesome Doe Nubians Join Date: May 2002
Location: North of Houston TX
Go to dairygoatinfo.com click on goatkeeping 101 and look up the famancha chart. Look at it and the eyes of your doe, is she anemic?
First you didn't worm 3 times, safeguard is worthless as a wormer for goats, especially adults, it barely gets tape worms except with huge amounts given, even in pups we give it 3 days in a row! The pelleted wormers simply don't work...and if you doe is anemic from blood suck HC worms than Ivermectin barely touches them anymore. If you can go to a feed store and buy a tube of Quest, it's for horses. Put some into a 3cc syringe and give her some today..1cc per 100 pounds, again in 7 days and again in 7 more days.
What ivermectin did you use and how much did you give. If this is left over condition eating worms than your Ivermectin should have helped, but you may have to give it at a higher dose, give it for 3 times 7 days apart to break the lifecycle of adult worm in your goats. Any diarrhea?
Stop the dog food, it contains animal by products and it really high in fat/oils, even saying that my first goat used to eat with my Ridgebacks their dry dog food But she also looked like hell, I simply didn't know anything about goats to know how awful she was vicki
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#3 06/25/09, 05:21 PM
Minelson Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: South Dakota
Vicki's posts are a tough act to follow Welcome to the forum! Like Vicki said, I would think the wormer didn't work. I would also check her teeth and mouth for any abnormalities. A good treat that is good for the goats is BOSS - Black Oil Sunflower Seeds. It's in the bird section at any store. Keep us posted...and we love pictures!
Minelson
#4 06/26/09, 07:09 AM
Backfourty,MI.
Katie Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Twining, Mi.
Ditto on Vicki's post above. She knows a whole lot about goats.
Give the horse wormer orally too.
Minelson's right about the sunflower seeds too, they may help put some good fat on your doe.
Welcome to the forum & good luck with your doe.
#5 06/28/09, 11:01 PM
dmdhart
Registered User Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Virginia
Update on my sick goat
Her name is "Goat Goat" by the way, named by my little girl.
First, let me thank everyone for their wonderful advice. I feel terrible about the dogfood. Luckily she hasn't had lots of it. Since giving her the ivermectin, her appetite has picked up. Today I gave her a new bale of hay and she spent hours munching on it. I'm hoping that it will be ok to give her as much as she wants. I also got some vitamins in her. I mixed them with oatmeal and a bit of sugar. I'll keep you updated as to her progress.
Thanks again,
Donna
#6 06/28/09, 11:06 PM
Minelson Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: South Dakota
Good to hear she is doing better! She can have as much grass hay as she wants and since she has weight issues I would be sure to have it available for her 24/7...
I like her name...my dh calls my 3 goats the "Goatie-goat-goats"
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Minelson
#7 06/29/09, 08:49 AM
DQ Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: ok
Posts: 1,608
she also needs loose salt/mineral mix available to her. not a block. your local feed store should carry something. look for one with a low salt content. most good ones in my experience contain about 12-40% salt, no more.
hay is good! slowly working her onto eating alfalfa hay or pellets would be better to put weight on her. not too much of anything other than that (grains, sunflower seeds etc...) those are considered concentrates and they can't handle very much of them in comparison to hay, without getting sick. concentrates and even alfalfa pellets need to started slowly to give the digestive system time to adapt.
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#8 06/29/09, 10:23 AM
Sweet Goats
Cashmere goats Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: CO
Posts: 1,890
Donna, I would like to say welcome first of all. They I would like to say NEVER deworm a goat just because. Always do a fecal float on them. Yes I would of thought worms also because she was getting thin, but what type of worms are you trying to treat? That is the Million dollar question. Vicki said throw the Safeguard out. It works just fine here because I have not had to use it much and the worms are not immune to it. It is no different then you you are given something all the time and soon it will not work.
Second, I would NOT feed her a sweet feed with corn. Cashmere goats are growing their fiber now and with the heat it makes them WAY to hot, and they will stop eating if they are hot. She does not need any grain at all if she has good hay or grass. Mine do not get any grain unless they are being bred,, the last two months of pregnancy or nursing.
Also, does she have another goat to be with? If so great, if not goats are herd animals and they need to have another goat unless she is with a horse or something.
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Sweet Goats
#9 Today, 12:28 AM
dmdhart
Update on Goat Goat.
First, let me again thank everyone for their words of wisdom, they are very much appreciated. I have switched Goat Goat to a pelleted feed that is higher in protein, and gone to a better quality of hay. I have also gotten her some goat mineral salt. (I was just giving her a generic mineral block). When I gave her some of the loose goat mineral, she went nuts over it!
In answer to the question, yes, she has two other goat (pygmy's - Litte Goat and Burt) companions. They seem to be fine.
I was noticing today, that she is now going bald! Not just shedding, but she has bare skin showing! Her skin doesn't have sores or isn't scaly. What on earth could be causing this?
Would beet pulp be a good thing to give her? I have brought back some very thin horses with the help of beet pulp. Just wondering if it would help her as well.
Thanks again for all of the advice and knowledge that you're passing on.
Donna
#10 Today, 12:35 AM
DairyGoatSlave
Love My Manchas! Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: California
Posts: 873
Welcome! glad she gained weight and is doing better!
I would say no beet pulp, it just expands thier rumens instead of filling them up.
She could be defecient in something, I would check her closely for mites, Perhaps a bath in dawn dish soap(gets rid of fleas and ticks) then and a nice dog wash to be nice on her skin
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DairyGoatSlave
#11 Today, 08:43 AM
Minelson Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: South Dakota
Posts: 6,632
I think the better hay and minerals will help with her coat. Is there a chance that she is rubbing on something to cause the bald spots? Where are they on her body?
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